A recent study by iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of car hire excess insurance, found that some of the most popular holiday choices for UK travellers are also the most stressful.

One in three people (32%) think travelling by plane is the most stressful form of travel, despite it being the most popular mode of transport for UK holiday makers going overseas. In contrast, just one in five (20%) think that travelling by car to go on holiday is the most stressful option.

The survey of 2,000 British holiday makers intended to find what makes for a stress-free holiday and found that:

  • One third (33%) find coach or bus the most stressful form of travel. Plane travel was a close second with 32%

  • Over one third (36%) thought it was most stressful to travel during the summer holidays, which is the UK’s peak travel time.

  • 31% said children were the most stressful travel companions, followed closely by in-laws (25%).

  • Over a third (36%) think hen dos and stag dos are the most stressful type of holiday.

On top of this, almost half of survey respondents (46%) don’t trust anyone else to book their holiday for them. Only 12% trust a travel agent to book their holiday over booking themselves or relying on friends and family.

42% of people would like their holidays to be less stressful than what they currently are, with one third (32%) saying they would pay more to guarantee a less stressful holiday.

To help people see if their next holiday will be relaxing, iCarhireinsurance.com have created a holiday stress calculator.

This lets people know how relaxing their holiday will be and gives advice on how to limit stress.

Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com said about the survey:

Holidays are meant to be enjoyable and relaxing, so it’s interesting to see how many people end up stressed as a result

We tend to go straight to booking our standard summer holiday with a flight abroad. This data suggests that we need to be re-thinking that and try alternative times of year and different forms of transport to get the most from our holidays.

Disclaimer: All prices contained in this article were correct on the original date of publication. Prices may change over time, so for current prices, please get a quote.